2 replies to this topic

[mike.omega]

Mit-motors va spune ceva???
E reprezentanta in buc de Mitsubishi

[jaffar]

1. mit motors romania - astia sint de multi ani, ca le faceam eu retea de tzomputere prin '98; pe linga mitsubishi mai vind si alte marci
2. mitsubishi motors - din ce am auzit aveau preturi mai mari decit primii, si servicii mai de slaba calitate.

concurenta mare era intre astia doi, dar nici unul nu era dealer oficial, desi mit motors sustine asta (http://www.digicom.ro/mit)
pe al treilea nu-l stiu fix acuma... sorry.

la mitsubishi motors pe site nu exista inca romania.

[Edited on 14-10-2003 by jaffar]

[mike.omega]

Carisma - go figure. I don't think there's been a car more inappropriately named than this, bar the Carisma GT (rebadged Lancer Evolution). The image that it carries is literally the opposite of what its name might suggest. Average-looking, built in masses and sold to fleet services, it is one of those cars that could have its name and badge switched with the previous offerings of Mazda, Toyota and Honda. As a cooperation project between Volvo and Mitsubishi, you might think that the Carisma might win the favour of the public with ideas of safety, build quality, and an advanced GDI engine, but the reality is far from what the package seems to suggest.


Before Ford purchased it, Volvo actually shared the design and assembly work with Mitsubishi. Assembled together in Holland in the Nedcar plant, the two seemingly rolled out of the factories, but between the two there is a world of difference. Where the S40 is distinctive - it appears to be quite small, and features the Volvo rounded box look. On the contrary, offered in sedan and hatchback, the Carisma looks larger to be the larger of the two. Updated in 1999, the Carisma was facelifted into the car you see today. Though breaking into the 21st century, the Carisma is stuck in the mid '90s theme on the Mitsubishi corporate face. The headlamps are bland and straightforward, and they lead into a distinctively chiseled nose making it look like a slightly melted North American Mitsubishi product. On another note, the market that Mitsubishi has aimed for - D Segment - has simply grown. With a wheelbase that's a whopping 150 mm down on its nearest competitor, the Peugeot 406, and dimensions that make it the smallest car in class, this isn't exactly the route you want to go if you have a larger family. It's hardly attractive, and it certainly doesn't gather attention or carry any sort of style- the new Toyota Avensis and beautiful Mazda 6 leave Mitsubishi's offering in the dark and in the dust when it comes to looks.


Along with a revised exterior were updated underpinnings. Somehow, Mitsubishi failed to realize that the trailing arm suspension died during the mid '90s, notorious for its heavy unsprung weight and inability to dampen and suppress bumps in the road. As you can imagine, the car has also been tuned for long distance driving, so it leans in the corners more than we'd like. The wider track and tires help reduce the car's massive understeer but the light curb weight and short wheelbase make the car uncomfortable at high speed cornering. The Carisma's claim to fame is Mitsubishi's GDI engine - one of the first cars in the world to feature gasoline direct injection, and the first car sold in Europe to include it as standard. Beneficial for its tax discounts and fuel savings, it is truly a fleet manager's dream. However, one man's treasure is another man's trash - the 1.8 liter engine manages to make only 125 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque due to the high sulphur content in worldwide gasoline. The Japanese-market cars create 140. Ingeniously, when driven relaxed, the engine will lower the car's fuel to air ratio from 1:14.5 to 1:20 for a cleaner burn. The downside of this is that this will only occur when driven leisurely� and when you're in a hurry to get from job site to job site, who's got the time for that?


Designed and sold to the average company worker, the Carisma's interior is an exact copy of its exterior. It's simple and easy to digest, but it carries none of the visual flair and quality, which the competition offers. Where Ford's Mondeo offers real burled walnut, the Carisma is stuck with shiny, fake plastic stuff. Where VW's Passat uses textured, soft-touch plastic, the Carisma is hollow, shiny and squeaky. On the plus side, it's easy to figure out and operate, with basic controls where one might expect made more familiar by the standard Mitsubishi instrumentation and center console. Surprisingly, despite its smaller exterior dimensions, the Carisma is quite large on the inside. The car can comfortably carry four adults, and in a pinch, five. The picture hatchback has an absolutely cavernous trunk that apes and surpasses the limited carrying space of other three-box sedans that the competition offers. Once again the disadvantages of the semi-trailing arm show up again, this time in the car's ride. A massive black mark goes to the Carisma's inability to absorb bumps and road harshness at both low and high speed. Expansion joints are passed through, nearly unfiltered to the cockpit, and it only gets worse at high speed. Mitsubishi is in dire need of a lesson in proper suspension design and tuning - even its Volvo sister managed to solve these problems.


The unfortunate part seems to loom over Mitsubishi's head - you can have a strong partner, you can have an innovative engine, and you can build it in Europe, but if you go by the standard set twenty years ago, you'll have trouble making things work in your favour. As it stands, the Carisma is little more than transport for those who don't care about automotive dynamics. Aside from supporting the financially stricken company, or to be the literal laughing stock of the parking lot, your best bet is to slot yourself into one of Ford's shiny new Mondeo DCIs. They do the job so much better�

Specifications
Engine: 1834 cc DOHC 16v Inline-4 direct-injection, 125 hp, 128 ft-lbs

Transmission: 5-speed manual, front wheel drive

Performance: 0-100 km/h in 10.8 seconds, top speed is 200 km/h.

Economy: 9.0 l/100km

Suspension: F: McPherson Strut / R: Semi-Trailing Arm

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